Unit 6

• African art


  Has a long and rich history that dates back to prehistoric times
• Artistic traditions of African art

  • Sculpture
  • Painting
  • Textiles
  • Performance art
• African art


  • Has been influenced by a variety of factors, including religion, politics, and social customs
• Arrival of European colonizers in the 15th century

  Had a significant impact on African art, as it led to the introduction of new materials and techniques, as well as the exportation of African art to Europe
• In the 20th century, African art became increasingly recognized as a valuable and important cultural heritage, leading to the establishment of museums and galleries dedicated to African art around the world
• African architecture


  Mud and clay are the most common building materials used
• African architecture


  • Known for its use of organic shapes and materials, such as thatched roofs and woven walls
  • Often designed to blend in with the surrounding landscape and environment
  • Often communal, with buildings serving multiple purposes and being used by multiple families or groups
  • Often incorporates symbolic elements, such as the use of certain colors or patterns to represent specific ideas or beliefs
• African sculptures


  • Known for their expressive and abstract forms
  • Often made from wood, metal, or clay
  • Used for various purposes such as religious rituals, social status, and storytelling
  • Characterized by their stylized features, exaggerated proportions, and intricate details
  • Often depict human figures, animals, and mythical creatures
  • Created by skilled artisans who pass down their techniques through generations
  • Have influenced modern art movements such as cubism and expressionism
  • Highly valued by collectors and museums around the world
• Some famous examples of African sculptures include the Benin Bronzes, the Ife Head, and the Dogon Masks
• African art


  • Deeply rooted in the cultural context of the continent
  • Reflects the diverse traditions, beliefs, and customs of the people who created it
  • Often functional, serving a specific purpose within the community, such as religious or ceremonial objects
  • Characterized by its use of symbolism and abstraction, which convey important cultural messages
  • Has influenced many modern artists and continues to be an important part of the continent's cultural heritage
• Materials used in African art


  • Wood
  • Metal
  • Ivory
  • Clay
  • Stone
  • Textiles
• Wood


  The most commonly used material in African art due to its abundance and ease of carving
• Metal


  Used for casting sculptures and creating intricate jewelry
• Ivory


  Used for carving small figurines and decorative objects
• Clay


  Used for creating pottery and sculptures
• Textiles


  Used for creating clothing, blankets, and other decorative items
• Processes and techniques used in African art

  • Carving
  • Casting
  • Weaving
  • Painting
• Carving


  The most common process used in African art, involving using a chisel or knife to shape wood, ivory, or stone
• Casting


  Used to create metal sculptures, involving pouring molten metal into a mold
• Weaving


  Used to create textiles, involving interlacing threads or fibers
• Painting


  Used to decorate sculptures, pottery, and textiles
• Great Zimbabwe


  • Shona peoples (Southeastern Zimbabwe)
  • c. 1000–1400
  • Coursed granite blocks
  • Walls: 800 feet long, 32 feet tall; 17 feet thick at base
  • Walls slope inward toward the top; made of exfoliated granite blocks
  • Zimbabwe was a prosperous trading center and royal complex; items from as far away as Persia and China have been found
  • Stone enclosure was probably a royal residence
  • Zimbabwe derives from a Shona term meaning "venerated houses" or "houses of stone"
  • Internal and external passageways are tightly bounded, narrow, and long; occupants are forced to walk in single file, paralleling experiences in the African bush
  • The conical tower is modeled on traditional shapes of grain silos; control over food symbolized wealth, power, and royal largesse
  • The tower resembles a granary and represented a good harvest and prosperity; grain gathered, stored, and dispensed as a symbol of royal power
  • Abandoned in the fifteenth century probably because the surrounding area could no longer supply food and there was extensive deforestation
• Great Mosque of Djenné


  • Founded c. 1200, rebuilt 1906–1907
  • An adobe
  • Three tall towers; center tower is a mihrab
  • Vertical fluting drains water off the surfaces quickly
  • Made of adobe, a baked mixture of clay and straw; adobe helps maintain cooler temperatures
  • Torons: wooden beams projecting from walls
  • Wooden beams act as in-place ladders for the maintenance of the building
  • Largest mud-brick mosque in the world
  • Crowning ornaments have ostrich eggs, symbols of fertility and purity
  • Roof has several holes with terra cotta lids to circulate air into the main room
  • Inhabited since 250 B.C.E., Djenné became a market center and an important link in the trans-Saharan gold trade
  • Two thousand traditional houses survive, built on small hills to protect against seasonal floods
  • Once a year there is a community activity to repair the mosque called Crepissago de la Grand Mosquée
• Benin Wall Plaque


  • From Oba's palace, Edo peoples, Kingdom of Benin (Nigeria)
  • 16th century
  • Cast brass
  • One of 900 brass plaques produced, each between 16 and 18 inches
  • Metal products are rare in Africa, making these objects extremely valuable
  • There was an active trade with the Portuguese for brass
  • It decorated the walls of the royal palace in Benin
  • It was part of a sprawling palace complex; wooden pillars covered with brass plaques
  • Shows aspects of court life in the Benin culture
• Golden Stool of Ashanti (Sika Dwa Kofi)

  • Ashanti peoples (south central Ghana)
  • c. 1700
  • Gold over wood, and cast gold attachments
  • Entire surface inlaid with gold
  • Bells hang from the side to warn the king of danger
  • Replicas often used in ceremonies, but each replica is different
  • Symbol of the Ashanti nation, in Ghana
  • Contains the soul of the nation
  • Never actually used as a stool; never allowed to touch the ground; it is placed on a stool of its own
  • According to Ashanti tradition, it was brought down from heaven by a priest and fell into the lap of the Ashanti king, Osei Tutu
  • It became the repository of the spirit of the nation; it is the symbol of the mystical bond among all Ashanti
  • A new king is raised over the stool
  • The stool is carried to the king on a pillow; he alone is allowed to touch it
  • Taken out on special occasions
  • War of the Golden Stool: March–September 1900, conflict over British sovereignty in Ghana (formerly the Gold Coast); a British representative who tried to sit on the stool caused an uproar and a subsequent rebellion; the war ended with British annexation and Ashanti de facto independence
• Ndop (portrait figure) of King Mishe miShyaang maMbul


  • Kuba peoples, Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • 1760–1780
  • Wood
  • Cross-legged pose
  • Sits on a base
  • Epicene body
  • Face seems uninvolved, above mortal affairs
  • A peace knife in his left hand
  • Royal regalia: bracelets, arm bands, belts, headdress
  • Ndop sculptures are commemorative portraits of Kuba rulers, presented in an ideal state
  • Not an actual representation of a deceased king but of his spirit
  • Made after the death of the king
  • Each king is commemorated by symbols on the base of the figure; this king has a sword in his left hand in a nonaggressive pose, handle facing out
  • One of the earliest existing African wood sculptures; oldest ndop in existence
  • Rubbed with oil to protect it from insects
  • Acted as a surrogate for the king in his absence
  • Kept in the king's shrine with other works called a set of "royal charms"
• Power Figure (Nkisi n'kondi)


  • Kongo peoples, Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • c. late 19th century
  • Wood and metal
  • Alert pose
  • Rigid frontality
  • Arms akimbo, in an aggressive stance
  • Wears a headdress worn by chiefs or priests
  • Nails are pounded into the figure
  • Spirits are embedded in the images
  • Spirits can be called upon to bless or harm others, cause death or give life
  • In order to prod the image into action, nails and blades are often inserted into the work or removed from it
  • Medical properties are inserted into the body cavity, thought to be a person's life or soul
  • The figure has a role as a witness and enforcer of community affairs
  • The figure also cautions people on the consequences of actions contrary to community norms
• Portrait Mask (Mblo) of Moya Yanso

  • Baule peoples (Côte d'Ivoire)
  • Early 20th century
  • Wood and pigment
  • Broad forehead, pronounced downcast eye sockets, column-shaped nose: features associated with intellect and respect
  • Quiet faces; introspective look; peaceful face; meditative; eyebrows in an arch
  • Presented at Mblo performances in which an individual is honored with ritual dances; tributes are performed in his or her honor
  • The dancer who wears the mask represents the honored individual
• Spirits


  Embedded in the images, can be called upon to bless or harm others, cause death or give life
• Prod the image into action


  Nails and blades are often inserted into the work or removed from it
• Medical properties


  Inserted into the body cavity, thought to be a person's life or soul
• Figure


  • Witness and enforcer of community affairs
  • Cautions people on the consequences of actions contrary to community norms
• Portrait Mask (Mblo) of Moya Yanso

  • Baule peoples (Côte d'Ivoire)
  • Early 20th century
  • Wood and pigment
• Portrait Mask (Mblo)


  • Broad forehead, pronounced downcast eye sockets, column-shaped nose: features associated with intellect and respect
  • Quiet faces; introspective look; peaceful face; meditative; eyebrows in an arch
• Female (Pwo) Mask


  • Chokwe peoples, Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Late 19th to early 20th century
  • Wood, fiber, pigment, and metal
  • Found in National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C.
• Female (Pwo) Mask


  • Enlarged eye sockets
  • Pushed-in chin
  • Slender nose
  • High forehead
  • Balanced features
  • Almost-closed eyes
• Mende Bundu Mask


  • Sande society, Mende peoples (West African forests of Sierra Leone and Liberia)
  • 19th to early 20th century
  • Wood, cloth, and fiber
  • A private collection
• Mende Bundu Mask


  • Elaborate hairstyle symbolizes wealth; worn by women of status
  • High forehead indicates wisdom
  • Small eyes in the shape of slits: she should be demure
  • Tight-lipped mouth, symbolizing secrets not revealed
  • Small ears: avoids gossip
  • Rings around the neck symbolize concentric waves from which the water spirit, Sowei, breaks through the surface; also symbolizes the fat associated with a pregnant body
  • Small horizontal features
• Ikenga (Shrine Figure)


  • Igbo peoples (Nigeria)
  • 19th to 20th century
  • Wood
  • Found in Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York
• Ikenga


  • "Strong right arm" and thus physical prowess
  • Honors the right hand, which holds tools or weapons, makes sacrifices, conducts rituals, and alerts to speak at public forums
  • Embraces traditional masculine associations of strength and potency